Taira no Kunika (平国香)
TAIRA no Kunika (year of birth unknown-March, 935) was a busho (Japanese military commander) lived in the mid-Heian period. He was the first son of TAIRA no Takamochi. He is the ancestor of Hitachi-Heishi (Taira clan) and Ise-Heishi (Taira clan).
Summary
He was given the surname of Taira and was demoted from the Imperial family to a subject by the Imperial order of Emperor Uda on June 18, 889. In 898, he left the capital for Bando region with his father Takamochi who was appointed Kazusa no kuni no suke (officer in charge of regional administration in Kazusa) and based on Higashi-ishita at the western foot of Mt. Tsukuba in Hitachi Province. He married a daughter of MINAMOTO no Mamoru and took over Mamoru's post of the former Hitachi no daijo (Senior Secretary of Hitachi Province). He had extended the power of Bando-Heishi (Taira clan) and then strengthened the foundation of Kanmu-Heishi (Taira clan), the line of Prince Takamochi, being expanded many parts of the country.
When his nephew TAIRA no Masakado was attacked by ambushing MINAMOTO no Tasuku who was a son of Kunika's father-in-law, Mamoru and went on the counterattack on March 16, 935, Kunika was killed in a fire of his residence called Ishida-kan. His son TAIRA no Sadamori, who had heard the news during his term at Meryo (the section taking care of imperial horses) in Kyoto, applied for vacation to go back home in a hurry. Even though he had tried to bury old hatred and bring about a reconciliation once, his uncle TAIRA no Yoshikane criticized and persuaded him to be hostile to Masakado, which prefaced the Johei and Tengyo War.